Lt. is on routine administrative leave during the investigation. It’s believed he rented the unit before it was put up for auction, and bought by a Canon City man.
January 14, 2017
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. – The Fremont County Sherrif’s Office is being investigated, following evidence connected with a 2006 homicide, that was found in a storage unit.
Lt. Robert Dodd is on routine administrative leave during the investigation. It’s believed he rented the unit before it was put up for auction, and bought by a Canon City man.
Kevin Brown, a local real estate agent was born and raised in Canon City.
“One of the reasons people come down here is because the crime rate is extremely low,” Brown said.
He was shocked when he heard the evidence connected to the 2006 murder of Candace Hiltz was found in a storage unit at Dawson Ranch Storage.
“I just think it’s a bizarre story,” Brown said.
Rick Ratzlaff is the man who bought the unit when at auction in December 2016.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw there,” Ratzlaff said. “Bloody socks, weapons, and rope.”
Sheriff Jim Beicker visited the storage unit himself. Ratzlaff recalls Beicker’s time there.
“He pointed out a backpack and it was green in color,” Ratzlaff said. “It had items in it and a blanket. He (Beicker) said ‘that’s part of it, I do remember that.'”
Beicker said Monday he contacted the Colorado Bureau of Investigations “immediately.”
“They asked myself and Capt. Worley to catalog and to photograph the items that were in the unit,” Beicker said. “To collect them and secure them and bring them to the sheriff’s office to put in our evidence locker.”
Ratzlaff wants answers as to why the evidence was in the storage unit in the first place.
“These deputies (need to be) held accountable for what they did. The family’s been wronged and it’s been a long time for her death to be unsolved,” Ratzlaff said.
Residents wonder about this bizarre situation.
“It is strange to hear that evidence was turned up from somewhere,” Tom Wolf said.
“Obviously, they’re getting investigated, and something was odd, and hopefully the truth is discovered,” Brown said.
Beicker did not take questions at the press conference on Monday, and said until CBI is finished with its investigation, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office will not release any more information.
